


Seeking Knowledge

by thorkiship18



Category: Actor RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Books, Cliffhangers, Demon Jensen Ackles, Demons, I Don't Even Know, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Libraries, M/M, Magic, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-19 00:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22968949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorkiship18/pseuds/thorkiship18
Summary: Jared Padalecki stops at a library for directions. Inside, he discovers something far more interesting when he meets a stranger with a thirst for knowledge...
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 3
Kudos: 105





	Seeking Knowledge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Livingthepielife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livingthepielife/gifts).



> I'm on a roll! Lol
> 
> (Mistakes are my own; enjoy!)

The bell above the entrance to the library chimes, signaling whoever is inside that there's a new patron.

Unfortunately, Jared has no desire to stick around and peruse through the aisles in search of a good book. He's got plenty of those in the back of his trunk along with many of his other personal belongings. Jared had to get away, to run as far west as he could from everything. From everyone. From _him._

Walking further inside, Jared notices something rather peculiar about this place. Though it's early morning here in this seemingly small town, other businesses are bustling, up and running. In this library, however, there's...nothing. Well, _no one._ Stacks and rows of books on bookshelves, but not a single soul inside to care for them. Jared almost feels sad about it.

His parents loved books and knowledge with every fiber of their being, a trait that he had inherited from them. Visits to the local library every Friday after school, mom reading chapters of his favorite book before bed--Jared truly misses it all. He traces his fingertips over the books on the shelves, not directly looking at which is which until finally making his way towards the front desk.

"Hello?" Jared calls, looking around the barren library.

Glancing about further, he notices another bell upon the desk. Small and red with the words _Ring For Service_ written along the side in bold white print. Without thinking too much into it, Jared presses the top of the bell, listening to the high pitched chime that emanates from it; it resonates throughout the library.

Strangely, the temperature in the air takes a sudden shift, becoming slightly cooler. Jared looks behind him, after feeling a sudden gust of wind at the nape of his neck. As expected, nothing is there, but when he turns back towards the desk, he's greeted by another man who smiles warmly at him with golden brown hair and emerald eyes. Jared could certainly get lost in those eyes forevermore, but it would be rude.

He's brought out of his reverie quite quickly, mentally questioning where this man could've came from, and how fast and quiet he was in getting here. Nevertheless, Jared puts on a weak smile, waving.

"Uh, hi."

"Hello," the man says. "You rang for me?"

Jared nods. "Um, yes. Yes, I was just, um, passing through and I needed directions. I'm kinda new to this place, so I'm a bit lost."

"Of course, of course. Well, no need to worry. Whatever knowledge you seek, I have it here. My name is Jensen. Anything you wish to know will be revealed."

O...kay? Strange. This man--this Jensen--seems more than a bit odd. It feels like there's something off about him, but Jared can't exactly put his finger on it.

"Alright. Er...point me in the direction of the nearest motel, please."

Jensen gives a courteous nod, walking out from behind the desk. Jared watches the way he saunters towards the bookshelves, taking note of the faint grin that touches his lips. After long seconds of silence between them, Jared decides to follow the strange man through the stacks, waiting for Jensen to give him a map or something to get him on his way.

Instead, Jensen plucks a random book from the shelf. Looking at it, Jared notices that it has no cover. In fact, it has no defining features other than being pitch black and possibly 300 pages thick. Jensen opens the book, revealing that the pages are as blank as the cover. He shows it to Jared, still smiling.

"Ask."

Jared gazes at the Jensen, then the blank book, and back at Jensen again, clearly confused by his behavior. "Excuse me?"

"Ask the book for the knowledge that you seek."

"Are you serious?" asks Jared, eyebrow raised.

And yet Jensen stands his ground, holding open the blank book with the blank pages inside. This guy is quite bizarre, and otherworldly handsome to boot. But Jared has learned his lesson with bizzare, handsome men. It felt like a lifetime with _him_ , and now he's hundreds and hundreds of miles away from him and all the people he knew.

But here's Jensen, looking slightly amused and delighted that Jared is here before him. And so, Jared indulges in Jensen's little game, licking his lips.

"M'kay," he starts, leaning towards the book. "Here goes. Could you show me the way to the nearest motel, please?"

At first, nothing happens, just Jared had anticipated. What he didn't expect, however, was for the blank pages of the book to slowly become more vibrant, showing off a perfect picture of the land from above. Jared sees the streets of the town and the traffic in real time, stunned by the impressive detail. In a flash, a building on the west side of the town is illuminated, and it becomes clear that that's the motel Jared is searching for.

With his question answered, the images on the book shift back into their blankness. Jensen closes the weird book before placing it onto the shelf again. Jensen smirks at Jared, clasping his hands together. Before long, Jared is chuckling, unable to contain himself any longer. His laughter doesn't deter Jensen in the slightest, though.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Jared laughs, sniffling. "I'm just really amazed with the technology here. Cutting edge stuff."

Jensen frowns, tilting his head. "You don't believe it could be something else?"

"What else could it be?"

"Something far beyond mortal comprehension. Some might call it magic, or something more of a cosmic nature. The truth is that there is a little truth in both."

Jared snorts, listening to Jensen's insane explanation. "Yeah, okay."

"You desire more proof. More...knowledge. Come. Follow me."

Jensen walks past Jared yet again, trekking deeper within the large library of seemingly infinite books. Jared follows closely behind, discovering that not every book on the shelf is exactly the same. Some are different colors while others are smaller or larger. The purpose they serve is unknown to Jared, but maybe they _will be_ soon enough...assuming that everything that Jensen has shown him is somehow true.

He's an open-minded guy, but there's gotta be a line somewhere. There's also the possibilty of Jensen being a crazy serial killer and just waiting to chop him up into tiny pieces. 

In time, Jensen stops in front of a section called _Biographies._ Looks to be pretty straightforward. Jensen takes one of the books--this time smaller with a light shade of purple--and opens it, speaking again to Jared.

"With this book, you can see specific memories of any person of your choosing, be they alive or dead, past, present, future."

Jared eyes the book curiously, wondering just how a supposed piece of technology could do such a thing. In his mind, he gains an idea. If this is all an elaborate game, Jensen would expect Jared to pick a famous celebrity or whomever. But Jared has something up his sleeve.

He smirks, matching Jensen's expression. It almost looks as though he _knows_ what he's thinking. Impossible.

"Show me the 10th birthday of Jared Padalecki, please."

Instantly, the book reacts to Jared's words. But unlike the previous book, the pages slowly turn on their own, displaying pictures of...the day Jared remembers most in his life.

The pages eventually turn faster and faster, causing the images to become more like a motion picture. Jared sees through his own eyes, disoriented by the height difference. He observes the scene before him, amazed that he can relive one of the best moments of his life.

Young Jared tears open his presents and finds a entire collection of books from his favorite series. He hugs the two faceless figures in the scene, and Jared immediately recognizes them as his own parents. When the realization hits, their faces become clearer, signifying that this is all happening for real.

This is real.

_This. Is. Real._

Magic books that show past events and act as a GPS... What on earth is going on? Jared's read stories of things such as these, but that's all they were. Stories. Nothing more, nothing less. He never thought he'd be standing here with a man claiming that this sort of thing exists.

Jared stops thinking of the memory, and the pages of the book stop turning, reverting back to normal. The look on Jensen's face causes Jared to shift from foot to foot.

"That was a sweet memory," Jensen says, putting the book back. "You love your parents very much."

Jared blushes. "I do...I did. They passed away years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I bet they're in a better place now."

"Is there a way to see...?"

Jensen nods once. "Of course. The world is more vast than mortals believe. If you wish to know, you shall find your answers here, as you've already seen."

Jensen places his hand on Jared's back as he guides him towards another section, and it feels so warm and intimate that Jared doesn't attempt to shy away from it. When Jensen touches him, it's gentle, nothing like how _he_ used to touch Jared. Never again.

Soon, the pair stop at the apparent travel section; the book Jensen grasps another book, this time a longer one the size of an encyclopedia, green. He opens it, directing Jared to make the next move. The latter stands beside Jensen, looking down at the book as he speaks.

"Would you..." He hesitates at first, unsure of how to proceed, then: "Would you show me where the souls of Gerald and Sharon Padalecki are?"

The book's pages illuminate, glowing the the dim light of the library. Jared gasps as it gives off a strange humming noise before finally fulfilling his wish.

Within the pages, Jared witnesses the gleaming silhouettes of his long deceased parents. They wear clothes of pure white, smiling directly at him as they embrace one another. Jared nearly breaks in two, seeing that, yes, as he had hoped, the two people he loved more than anything else in the world are at _peace._ They say nothing to him, but Jared can hear them regardless, whispering reassuring and sweet words of wisdom into his racing mind.

He lost them both at such a young age in an accident. If it weren't for a few photographs of them, Jared would've forgotten their faces. But it's better now, if only moderately so. With the knowledge received, the book's glow fades away, ultimately becoming just like the other blank, "inactivated" books that litter the shelves. Jensen closes the book softly and slowly, offering up a sad smile.

"For what it's worth, their final thoughts were of you."

Jared clears his throat before wiping away a tear he didn't know was coming out. "Thank you."

"It wasn't my intention to sadden you..." Jensen mutters, putting the green book away.

"It's fine. Really... But I have to ask how all of this is possible. These books--how--?"

"I told you. Cosmic, magical, somewhere in between."

"It's impossible to know _everything_ about... _everything_! I don't understand it." Jared shakes his head, suddenly coming to his senses. He brushes past Jensen, heading back towards the entrance to the library. "I don't want any part in this. Thank you for the directions, but I need to keep moving."

"Wait! Where will you go?"

"Away from here."

"You know that deep down he will find you no matter where you go. He'll never let you go."

Jared stops dead in his tracks, rooted to the floor by Jensen's cryptic words. His palms sweat, and his heart skips several beats. When he gets her nerve, he quickly whips around, staring at Jensen in disbelief.

"You don't know anything about me."

Jensen sighs. It seems melancholic. He takes small steps forward. "Quite the contrary, actually. I know way too much about you, about everything. That is my curse. That is my power. You've started this journey over two weeks ago when you finally mustered up the courage to leave him, to slip out into the night undetected."

"St--stop..."

"Chadwick does not love you. He never did, and you knew that deep down in your soul, but he was there for you when it felt like no one else was. You felt like you owed him something, that's why you stayed."

Jared shudders as Jensen gets closer to him. "I'm warning you."

"The abuse started not long after the engagement," Jensen continues, clearly saddened. "But there was no one to turn to, no one to make you feel safe. Yet here you are now, safe and sound. With me. I can protect you from harm, and give you a home. You can give up this senseless trek towards nowhere, because you know, sooner or later, Chadwick will use his resources to track you down, and you will never be safe again."

That's the icing on top of the cake.

Jared swallows the hard lump in his throat, unable to contain himself any longer. Everything Jensen said was the truth. He's running from a man who doesn't love him but also won't let him go. It's twisted, it's toxic, it's all kinds of _wrong_ , but Jared did something about it. It might not have been the best thing, but he did something!

Chad was everything to him, and he cared so much for him. It hurts Jared to know that his best friend, his greatest love, is now his greatest enemy.

Jensen is soon standing in front of him, handing behind his back as if to restrain himself from reaching out in comfort. It wouldn't be totally unwelcomed, mind you. But then it has Jared realizing something.

If all is not right here within this special library, does that mean that Jensen is also...?

"Who... no," Jared begins, trying to find the correct words. " _What_ are you? You're not wholly human, right?"

Jensen nods affirmatively. "Correct. I'm not human, nor have I ever claimed to be. This is the form I've taken for myself, however, in order to conduct better business with mortals, such as yourself. As for what I am... Well, I have many names, some more archaic than others. I am Purson, the Fourth Great King of Hell, I know all things of this world and beyond, divine and mundane. I am the Keeper of Knowledge, the treasurer of past, present, and future. But I stand before you now as Jensen, a friend with a proposition."

"Which is?"

"Stay here. With me. Work in this library, and I will grant you asylum. No more running and hiding. I will keep you safe."

"You don't even know me..." Jared mumbles, looking down at his shoes.

Jensen lets out a weak laugh. "I think I've made it clear that I know entirely way more than I should. There aren't many mortals like you in this world. I worry for your wellbeing. Allow me to protect you, Jared Padalecki. Please."

Fuck.

Fuck.

_Fuck!_

A Demon or something worried for his wellbeing?

This is so messed up! What kind of drugs did he unknowingly swallow down today!? Great King of Hell? Jesus, what the fuck is going on? All of this seems so unreal, but Jared's seen it all with his very own eyes. This place, either magical or demonic or whatever, is special. It hold power, and it holds knowledge of all things, or so Jensen says. Or Purson. Or whoever he wants to be today.

The look on Jensen's face, though, has Jared considering the offer. It's not a bad one. He's been on the road for days nonstop, and it felt great to get out and walk about for a bit...but what then? He'd go back on the road and keep running until Chad finds him and does god knows what to him. Jared's seen what he'll do when he's angry...and it's not pretty.

After a long silence between the two, Jared finally exhales, slumping his shoulders. "I accept."

Jensen sighs in relief, grinning. "Good. This is good."

"Where will I sleep?"

"Upstairs, with me." Jensen stops for a moment when Jared's face turns a slight shade of pink. "In separate rooms, of course. I have a guest room prepared. All you'll need to do is bring your belongings up there."

"Okay, great. I--thank you, Jensen. I know we just met and all, but I... It's been a while since I felt like I could trust another person. Or thing."

"I've never lied to you thus far, and I won't start any time soon. You _can_ trust me. Unlike my brothers, I have no ulterior motives. I just love knowledge." Jensen finally touches him again, squeezing and patting his shoulder gently. "Well, come along. I suppose it's time to move you in."

With that, Jared follows Jensen outside where they unload his car, bringing up his possessions to the apartment above them. Very spacious, very comfortable. After the successful move, Jensen gives him the grand tour, showing him where everything is. Nothing at all like the home he shared with Chad, and that's what gives it so much appeal. It's small, but cozy. Warm.

Like Jensen.

That night, as Jensen slept in his room, Jared snuck down into the library, tiptoeing around the area with the flashlight in his phone. He searches the store until he comes across the Biographies section again. Looking back at the stairs just in case, Jared takes the blank book from the shelf, opening it.

"Jared Padalecki one year from today."

After speaking into the book, it animates like it did before, flipping through its pages at lightning fast speed. Jared needs to know what happens; if he'll get caught by Chad again, or if he'll be living comfortably down by the beach with a book in his hands.

Surprisingly, it's none of those things.

Instead, what Jared sees is himself, giggling and reading a passage from an unidentifiable book aloud to someone whose head rests in his lap. As the images shift and become clearer, it's revealed that the other person with Jared is not Chad, but Jensen, gazing up at him with a pair of loving eyes. His smile is one of adoration, apparently mesmerized by Jared and the book he's reading to him.

Then Jared stops reading, bending down to...kiss Jensen on the lips passionately before reading from the book once more.

The real Jared soon slams the magic book closed, ending the weird vision abruptly. He puts everything back in its place prior to dashing back upstairs, slipping under the covers.

He doesn't sleep much that night, but when he does he dreams of Jensen, and the strange events that haven't happened yet.

He tries to convince himself that the future isn't set in stone, that it's always subject to change depending on one tiny slip.

But he's read enough books to know that no matter how hard you try to change the outcome of an event, the inevitable will happen.

And it's only a matter of time.

But...would that be so bad? Learning to love a Great King of Hell? Maybe.

Maybe not.


End file.
